Welcome to Odzala kokoua National Park Travel Portal, an authentic guide featuring useful information concerning on gorilla trekking in Congo,Map,Congo Visa Application,gorilla permits , how to get there, Trusted Tour operators, when to visit & tour & Bird watching. Find the complete information guide to guide you during the visit to Odzala National Park the second destination for Western Lowland gorilla Trekking

This official portal helps travelers to enjoy stress free safari planning to the republic of congo for gorilla trekking with transportation offered by congo safari companies.

Odzala National Park is Congo's most exciting African safari destination. Steeped in legend and history, the iconic Odzala -Kokoua National Park in Republic of congo is waiting for you to explore its vast landscapes and spectacular African wildlife plus the primates like the Western lowland gorillas.

Plan your gorilla safari trip from our recommended safari tour options, which range from exclusive private safaris to affordable group safaris. Take a journey of exploration to find Africa's gorillas, you will discover unique wildlife on a real safari in Africa.

The Odzala National Park has a size of approx. 13,600 km. The Odzala National Park harbours a rich diversity of wildlife species and is one of the last strongholds for a variety of larger and smaller wildlife species in the Congo Basin . The Odzala National Park hosts ten diurnal primate species which is the highest number in Central Africa and it probably also hosts the highest number of western lowland gorillas in Africa

Odzala-Koukoua NP(13.456 km²): Odzala has some of the highest recorded densities of Western Lowland Gorillas in Central Africa (mean 5.4/km², and up to 11.3/km² in the Marantaceae forests), administered since 1992 with the support of ECOFAC. It is one of the most important strongholds for elephant and gorilla conservation in Central Africa and arguably one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in the world. The area incorporates mixed and Marantaceae forest types and an abundance of forest clearings supporting exceptional densities of a number of charismatic large mammals, including gorillas

Odzala National Park- one of Africa’s least known and most extraordinary ecosystems with an exceptionally high diversity of plant and animal species. Over 400 bird species live alongside one of the biggest populations of gorillas, forest elephants and buffaloes, as well as Central Africa’s last remaining lions.

Western lowland gorillas are found in tropical lowland forest areas. They are slightly smaller than their mountain gorillas & the eastern Lowland gorillas found in Democratic republic of Congo.

These Mountain & Eastern Lowland gorillas are critically endangered due to the risks they face from habitat loss, the bush meat trade and transmission of diseases from humans , which the various organization have joined force to conserve the apes of the world. The Congo Conservation Company has collaborated with the government to protect habitat and ecologically important resources that benefit these species inside the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. The Congo Conservation Company supports a very successful gorilla research centre at Ngaga Camp which has a huge impact on the western gorillas’ survival.

The first conservation areas were created to protect the large animals from the massacres that had begun with the arrival of Europeans in Africa. Today, hunting and poaching continue – after all, people must live – as well as intensive exploitation of natural resources. Conservation of the Park should not, and cannot, ignore the human factor.

The Congo basin is the world’s second largest tropical forest, next only to that of the Amazon, and one of the last large areas on the planet still in a state of preservation. Situated in the western basin of the Republic of Congo, the national park encompasses a wide range of habitats, such as savannah, marshes, wetland forests and evergreen forests. areas of swamp, several forests, a patchwork of forest savannah zones and the River Mambili. One of its really unique features is the presence of forest clearings and salt marshes, which are extremely important for the large forest animals.

The rich array of fauna - including not only exclusively forest-dwelling species (gnous, bongos, gorillas,chimpanzees, leopards), species that live in both savannah and forest (elephants, forest buffalo) and also species found only in the savannah, such as the last remaining lions of Central Africa – can be explained by this plant diversity. As well as being home to 444 out of the 626 species of bird identified in Congo, Odzala National Park also abounds in 4,397 different types of plant.

It is Odzala’s clearings that really make it such a unique site. Some of these – called bais – include salt marshes. Most of the clearings are located in the central and northern areas of the park. These bais offer herbaceous vegetation on an almost permanent basis, attracting many species of animal, like plain gorillas and elephants. These large mammals are also readily found in the salt marshes.The extraordinary ecological potential prompted the authorities to increase the size of Odzala National Park, which has a surface area of 284,800 hectares.

Getting to republic of congo is not as ease as other destination and odzala national park remains among the top safari places to be accessed by travelers. Traveling by yourself is certainly an option for the truly adventurous and those with time on their hands. However, the costs of independent travel can really start to add up. Once you consider everything such as accommodation, food, fuel, road tolls, national park entrance fees but independent travelers are not advised by the odzala Park management.
Management of the Park: The Congo Conservation Company and the African Parks Network is the excellent international organization that manages the park and conservation efforts inside.

The ultimate odzala safari adventure remains the western lowland gorilla trekking safari to be enjoyed in republic of congo. There is simply nothing like it. The passion and knowledge of the primates , monkeys to be viewed with your pilots and guides, is unsurpassed.
Odzala National Park is located in the Republic of congo , which receives the tropical rain forest due to the high forest vegetation cover that cover the biggest part of the country. Gorilla trekking in congo can be done throughout the year and the most lovely safari time being the months of August , September & December through February for all birding & primate Safaris. During these periods the air can be relatively hazy and the humidity is lower, but rainfall during these times can still occur and be quite variable. During the wetter months, tropical rainstorms contrast with sustained periods of clear blue skies and beautiful limpid light for photography.

Most Safari Companies/ tour operators that offer gorilla safaris to Congo offer free advise and travel information about Safari Lodge, Accommodation, Camps within Odzala National Park to ease safaris / expeditious tours to central Africa for honeymoon, study tours about culture in Congo.
Odzala National Park has mainly three camps recommended to travelers coming to Congo for Safari trips to visit the primates like gorillas , chimpanzee and monkeys with reliable Safari Companies.
All these three camps( Lango camp, Mboko camp ) are managed by the park and they are not privately owned. Book a Congo safari to enjoy gorilla trekking

All About Republic of Congo

Congo is one of Africa‘s main petroleum producers, with significant potential for further offshore development. Petroleum and timber represent 80% of GDP. It is one of Africa‘s most densely forested countries. From the Atlantic coast, the Rivers Congo and Oubangui form the southern and the eastern edge respectively of the range of the Western Lowland Gorilla. The Oubangui River forms the eastern limit to the range of the species, and the border area with Cabinda and the Bas-Congo region of DRC the southern.

A large proportion of the Western Lowland Gorillas are thought to live in Congo, mostly in the densely forested northern region, but also, to a lesser extent, in the central and southwestern parts of the country.

Republic of congo and DR congo have many destinations/ places worthy visit include Kahuzi-Biega National Park that contains a greater diversity of mammal species than any other site in the Albertine Rift. Characteristic mammals of the central African forests also live in the Park, such as the bush elephant, bush buffalo, hylochere and bongo.

3Management of the Park.

The Congo Conservation Company and the African Parks Network is the excellent international organization that manages the park and conservation efforts inside.